Last night I went to Graeter’s… in my dreams. Haha, really! Man, it was amazing. All of my friends were there, and my family too. We were laughing and just really enjoying each other. It was so, so comfortable. It felt so good. Everything seemed so bright, and happy… For real, I’m talking sunshine streaming in the windows, balloons floating up to the ceiling, the whole 9-yards. It was PERFECT. I was jussst about to take my first bite of that matchless Cincinnati ice cream (black raspberry chip) and smiled real big and said, “Ohhh YEAH!!”

And then I woke up.

I looked around, confused for a second about where I was. And then I saw my Hungarian book lying on the floor by my bed, and it all came rushing back. I slapped my forehead and kind of groaned, “oh yeah..”. haha

Dreams are sneaky like that. At least in reality, you can kind of talk yourself out of missing being
“home” with the people and places (and languages) you’ve known all your life. There’s no awareness of the fact that the nearest Graeter’s is 4,803 miles away (it’s true, I Googled it). While you’re asleep, you’re kind of at the mercy of where your mind goes, and just as suddenly as you’re drafted in, it’s jerked away.

And yet, in the same instant God must have just laughed and decided 4:03 a.m. was a “teachable moment” for me. He overwhelmed me with the thought that -in a sense- I experience the Kingdom of God the same way as that dream. In those instances when I’m worshipping God with a body of believers in Jesus Christ, I just catch a little glimpse of the worship party we’re going to have around the throne of God for eternity. It’s just enough to whet my appetite for that day, and spark me on to share the good news that an invitation is offered to everyone to be at that party.

One day, that little glimpse will be reality. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.

I can dream about Cincinnati’s famous ice-cream all day long, but it doesn’t hold a candle to actually dipping in that spoon and taking a huge bite. For now we catch glimpses of the never-ending worship party around God’s throne in heaven.. Will you actually be there to experience it? Will your friends? Will my friends/acquaintances? .. Just a thought.

Well, now that I’ve dared to compare the Kingdom of God to a dream about ice cream, guess we’ll call it a day. =)

But really, I’m praying for you… pray for me as we continue in our “Kingdom work”.

“Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” –Matthew 6:10